Dataset Information

Rapid Dwarfing of an Insular Mammal - The Feral Cattle of Amsterdam Island.

ABSTRACT: The island rule describes a graded trend in insular populations of vertebrates from gigantism in small species to dwarfism in large species. The dwarfing of large mammals on islands has been observed both in the present fauna and in the fossil record. Elephants, hippopotami, deer, and other species became dwarfed on islands scattered all over the world, from the Mediterranean Sea to Indonesia, from the Eastern to Western Pacific Ocean, from the Caribbean to Canary Islands. The most rapid and well documented cases of island dwarfing known thus far took place over thousands of years. Here, we describe a rapid example of dwarfing of a large mammal - the feral cattle of Amsterdam Island, southern Indian Ocean, which dwarfed to about three quarters of its body size in slightly more than one century. This population provides us with a rare opportunity to assess the rapidity of demographic, life history, and morphological responses of large mammals to a very isolated and ecologically simple, insular environment.

SUBMITTER: Rozzi R

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5562861 | biostudies-other | 2017 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-other

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Rapid Dwarfing of an Insular Mammal - The Feral Cattle of Amsterdam Island.

Rozzi Roberto R Lomolino Mark V MV

Scientific reports 20170818 1

The island rule describes a graded trend in insular populations of vertebrates from gigantism in small species to dwarfism in large species. The dwarfing of large mammals on islands has been observed both in the present fauna and in the fossil record. Elephants, hippopotami, deer, and other species became dwarfed on islands scattered all over the world, from the Mediterranean Sea to Indonesia, from the Eastern to Western Pacific Ocean, from the Caribbean to Canary Islands. The most rapid and wel ...[more]

PMID: 28821782

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Project description:Infectious diseases may be particularly critical for the conservation of endangered species. A striking example is the recurrent outbreaks that have been occurring in seabirds on Amsterdam Island for the past 30 years, threatening populations of three Endangered seabird species and of the endemic, Critically Endangered Amsterdam albatross Diomedea amsterdamensis. The bacteria Pasteurella multocida (avian cholera causative agent), and to a lesser extent Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae (erysipelas causative agent), were both suspected to be responsible for these epidemics. Despite this critical situation, demographic trends were not available for these threatened populations, and the occurrence and characterization of potential causative agents of epizootics remain poorly known. The aims of the current study were to (i) provide an update of population trends for four threatened seabird species monitored on Amsterdam Island, (ii) assess the occurrence of P. multocida, and E. rhusiopathiae in live birds from five species, (iii) search for other infectious agents in these samples and, (iv) isolate and genotype the causative agent(s) of epizooties from dead birds. Our study shows that the demographic situation has worsened substantially in three seabird species during the past decade, with extremely low reproductive success and declining populations for Indian yellow-nosed albatrosses Thalassarche carteri, sooty albatrosses Phoebetria fusca, and northern rockhopper penguins Eudyptes moseleyi. Pasteurella multocida or E. rhusiopathiae were detected by PCR in live birds of all five investigated species, while results were negative for eight additional infectious agents. A single strain of P. multocida was repeatedly cultured from dead birds, while no E. rhusiopathiae could be isolated. These results highlight the significance of P. multocida in this particular eco-epidemiological system as the main agent responsible for epizootics. The study stresses the urgent need to implement mitigation measures to alter the course of avian cholera outbreaks threatening the persistence of seabird populations on Amsterdam Island.

Dataset Information

Rapid Dwarfing of an Insular Mammal - The Feral Cattle of Amsterdam Island.

Publications

Rapid Dwarfing of an Insular Mammal - The Feral Cattle of Amsterdam Island.

Similar Datasets

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